Passwords are used as a form of personal identification to allow a user access to a specified resource.
Security can be balanced against the inconvenience to a user for accessing that security. For example, it may be inconvenient for a user to enter long or difficult passwords. The need to enter a difficult password is inconvenient to the user. However, the user may accept that difficulty, because of the need to maintain the security of a transaction or database.
Passwords can secure access to specified resources. The resource can be, for example, a local computer system, or a web site or membership site which requires access, or even physical access to a premises. Sometimes, however, less security may be needed. For example, certain web sites require login, but only allow a user access to less personal and/or secure information. For example, a web site may require login to receive news or other personalization information. Also, sometimes log in to a web site may be dependent on the actual computer that is being logged in, in which case it is unlikely that an unauthorized user is actually logging in.
Other situations where the odds of unauthorized entry are low include a web site where a timeout has occurred after certain amounts of time. In all of these situations, it may be desirable to accept lower security.
Passwords, as described herein, may take different forms, and may include, for example, an alphanumeric password, a personal identification number or “pin”, or specified sequences of other types.